Improvement in chambers of fire-arms and ordnance



THOMAS MAC NEIL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN CHAMBERS OF FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 160.69 l, dated March 9, 1875; applfeation filed Y February 6, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS MAG NEIL, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Powder-Chamf bers of Ordnance; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and clear description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to all classes of ordnance, or other devices for discharging projectiles; and it has for its object to increase the explosive force of the powder, and thereby to accelerate the projectile force and lessen the recoil. And to this end the nature of my invention consists in a perforated air-chamber, placed within the powder-chamber, and so arranged with a firing-pin, or other ring device, as to explode the fulminate atl the inner end of the air-chamber, and ignite that portion of the charge iirst which is located between the end of the air-chamber and the projectile, all as hereinafter more fully set forth.

ln order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, refer 1 ring to the annexed drawing, which forms a part of this speclication, and which fully illustrates my invention.

It represents the breech ot' a gun of any desired construction, which may or may not be provided with the breech-plug E. A reprsents a conical air-chamber secured in any suitable manner within the powder-chamber H to the breech It. This air-chamber is provided With perforations X, extending from its base to a point, O, a suitable distance from its inner end. These perforations must be small enough to prevent the powder entering the air-chamber, and yet their combined area be suicient to allow of the free and easy compression and expansion of the air and gases.

In the extreme inner end of the air-chamber are one or more firing holes or vents, y, which may run straight, or more or less angling, as shown. At this end of the air-chamber the fulminate to ignite the charge is to be exploded. In the drawing I have represented this to be done by means of atiring-pin, B, the

head of which is made to fit snugly in the upper unperforated part of the air-chamber, but it is, ofcourse, evident that any other tiring device that will answer the same purpose, may be substituted. the tire is communicated through the holes or vents y to that part of the charge directly behind the projectile, or between the projectile and the end of the air-chamber, and the head of the tiring-pin, iitting as described in the end of the air-chamber, prevents the lire from running backward into the air-chamber, and igniting the charge through the perforations X.

The charge burns baelnvard from behind the projectile. lhe result is that the air in the air-chamber becomes compressed, and,being elastic, takes oli' that part ot' the recoil, and sudden or unequal strain caused at first tire by the inerti-.t of the projectile; then, as the charge continues to burn backward and past the point shown by dotted lines O, the air becomes heated and expands, augmenting the projectile force, and the air then, by means of the oxygen present, causes instant and perfect combustion ot' the remaining portion of the charge, and thereby greatly increases the explosive and projectile force of the powder, and secures to the projectile a greater velocity and range.

Having thus fully described my invent-ion, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

lhe combination of the perforated air-chamber A, and a iring device, 1i, constructed t0 ignite the charge at the extreme front end of the air-chamber, an'd prevent the lire from passing back into the same, substantially for the purposes herein set forth.

THOMAS MAQ` NEIL.

As the fulminate is exploded, 

